The Eastfield Dance Company took big strides as they made their regional debut at the annual 254-Dance-Fest in Waco recently. They were the only community college dance program accepted into the festival this year, a big honor and source of pride for both Dr. Danielle Georgiou and her students.

When Georgiou was hired in 2012 she set to work right away rebuilding the dance program at Eastfield, starting off with offering a variety of technique classes, including Ballet, Jazz, Modern Dance, Latin Dance, Improvisation, Body Conditioning and Performance. The goal from the start was to provide professional-quality classes and productions to give students a strong foundation in all aspects of the art of dance. This includes the opportunity to choreograph some of their own pieces, as well as performing works created by faculty members, guest artists, students and alumni. The Eastfield Dance Company also collaborates with the Eastfield and Richland Theater departments to provide even more opportunities to perform.

Georgiou shared that her goal in developing the program was to offer as many styles and opportunities to explore creatively as possible. Her own focus is dance theater. This is why she collaborates frequently with guest artists, students and other faculty, to make sure students get to explore beyond her own expertise and find their own passion in movement. The company has had the opportunity to learn Flamenco, Folklorico and Dance for Camera in addition to more traditional styles thanks to this open-minded stance.

Georgiou has a passion for dance of all types. “Dance is the first language that I ever knew,” she said. “Movement is at the crux of my being and [the] basis of who we all are. Before we can speak, we can move; we can dance.”

This idea of viewing and exploring the world through movement was at the heart of the piece they performed in Waco titled, “One Day You Will Be With Me,” which examines grief and how it is experienced individually and how that changes when people meet others who are grieving as well.

The piece was performed by Alakina Mercedes, Angel G. Ramirez and Jasmin Medina. Mercedes shared what dance means to her. “It’s a way of expression that is universal,” she said. “Beyond verbal language and social pressure, it’s a way to create art that evokes raw emotion.”

But working with the dance company isn’t always just about expression of a known passion, it is also about finding and exploring new things. Ramirez shared how Eastfield Dance Company provided the opportunity to do just that saying: “As a theater major, I initially focused on a specific approach to storytelling. However, my time with the Dance Company, guided by Dr. Danielle Georgiou, Roberto Alvarez and Alondra Puentes, exposed me to a new perspective on narrative expression, significantly refining my skills and deepening my understanding of theater.”

Georgiou also stressed the importance of dance as a community builder sharing. “It instantly connects people.” For the performers, being vulnerable and sharing their lives through movement is an important form of expression, but dance also brings people together who watch it. Just like any of the arts, it’s an exploration of the world around us and the lived human experience. The shared experience of watching a live performance also serves to unite people. That shared experience in either performing or witnessing often brings people back again and again. Georgiou explained that many alumni return to help with the dance company even after graduation, stating “This is a family and this is a home.”

Georgiou said the dance company is open to all students. Whether it’s taking the class as an elective or just exploring something new, all are welcome.

The Spring Dance Concert is on May 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the performance hall.

Free to all students, audiences can look forward to seeing Latin, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Modern Dance styles. There will also be an exhibition of dance films created by students on display in the Performance Hall Lobby, a first for Eastfield and Dallas College.

The arts can have a profound impact on those who partake of them. Georgiou said, “I consider myself incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to teach dance and share my passion for it with my students and with the community here at Eastfield and Dallas College. Because, every day, they are teaching me something new about what dance is and can be.”